It seems as if Nebuchadnezzar first thinks there is some kind of mistake. He tries to convince the three men with a friendly face. When these three make it clear that they really are not going to kneel we can see by the king’s face how angry he is. He is so furious that he orders the furnace to become much hotter yet. People who will not bow down to him must surely be banished from this earth. He will prove that no one can stand up to him. People who wield power generally do not like game changers. They often regard people who are different as a threat to their own influence and power. Nebuchadnezzar is no exception. He insists on being worshipped by the people as if he himself is a god. His entire empire, with all these different peoples, must honour him in this way. The kingdom must have a religion that unites everyone. When Nebuchadnezzar tries to enforce this, these three friends are the killjoys, they are spoiling his idea of unity. These recalcitrant men must either bend, or else they will burn in the furnace!
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated.